On October 16, 1912, after the flight of the Bulgarian military aircraft “Albatros” over the Turkish positions and Edirne, Lieutenant Radul Milkov returned as the first pilot in the world to perform a combat flight and drop bombs on the enemy. His airplane unit near Svilengrad, of which he was the commander, included brave and self-sacrificing Bulgarian eagles - officers, privates, volunteers, aircraft mechanics.
The glory of Bulgarian aviation power, which begins with the Edirne epic, is inextricably linked with the name of the pilot Lieutenant Colonel Radul Milkov. He was a commander with innate coolness and fearlessness, with a captivating ability to command and inspire his subordinates by personal example. Radul Milkov graduated from the 26th class of the Military School of the Royal Air Force in September 1906, and in 1912, after a competition, he achieved his cherished dream - he went to study for a flight license. He passed the pilot's exam with excellent results and received the license (brevet) of the German Imperial Aviation Club. With the declaration of the Balkan War, he was appointed commander of the 1st Aeroplane Division at the airport near Svilengrad. The Edirne epic began with the arrival of Lieutenant Radul Milkov from Berlin to take over his part at the already completed airport.
Early in the morning, on October 15, the first shipments of Bulgarian aircraft arrived by train. Everyone together unloaded the crates with the wings of glory for the Bulgarian eagles and assembled with technical skill and flair the first Bulgarian "Albatross". The commander personally flew into the sky to test the engine... Upon getting off the plane, he made an unwavering decision - with the technical capabilities of Private Stoyan Terziyski and his camera, it was possible to carry out an unsuspected combat mission. "Albatross" flew again, but this time there were two on board - a commander and a private, for the purpose of aerial reconnaissance over the Turkish positions and fortifications. The flight altitude was extremely low and the detour was very short - to save time and reduce the risk. In the evening, several photos were already ready, but still the windy and cloudy weather, the twilight of the sunset, had their say.
The next morning, the commander and the private met the first rays of the sun again over the Turkish positions.
On October 16, 1912, in the morning, new photos were ready - this time excellent in quality.
Again on October 16, 1912, at 9 a.m., Major General Simeon Yankov arrived at the airport, greeted Lieutenant Milkov and assigned him the task of reconnaissance of the enemy. Lieutenant Tarakchiev, a balloonist, expressed a desire to fly as well. The two boarded the plane, taking bombs. For Lieutenant Radul Milkov, the reconnaissance had already been done, the more important goal was to bomb the enemy.
Two hours later, the first combat pilot in the world, Lieutenant Radul Milkov, and the observer Prodan Tarakchiev, were greeted at the airport. Among those greeting them was the first aerial reconnaissance photographer in world combat history, Private Stoyan Terziyski.